Guerneville School District teachers authorize strike, citing poor pay, long days

Teachers in Guerneville’s elementary school district have failed to reach a new contract with their school board after 200-plus days of negotiations, prompting them to vote unanimously to authorize a strike.

The Guerneville School Teachers Association’s Dec. 13 action doesn’t mean a strike is imminent. Teachers attended Monday’s school board meeting, urging school trustees to meet their demands. They were supported by teachers from nearby school districts, including Forestville, Monte Rio, Harmony and Roseland, plus representatives from North Bay Jobs with Justice.

No agreement was reached Monday night after the school board met in closed session about the situation. With the impasse continuing, both sides will meet before a state mediator sometime in January, union leaders said.

Should that and other measures fail, a strike would likely occur in the first quarter of 2025.

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